Ruheforst Mushrooms, part 2

A few more of the mushroom specimens snapped by Avalus at the natural burial forest.

Everything was totally dry and this one excreted water. I was (and still am) very puzzled. ©Avalus, all rights reserved

Tiny guys squeezing between the bark and the wood. I was fascinated. ©Avalus, all rights reserved

©Avalus, all rights reserved

Just a group of sulfurshrooms with a green sheen. ©Avalus, all rights reserved

Thanks Avalus. I really like the different perspectives that you’ve used. Each one seems perfectly suited to its subject. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of ‘shrooms.

Ruheforst Mushrooms

From Avalus, information about a growing trend and a warning about climate change.

Maybe a bit macabre, so a foreword.

 Graveyards, Mushrooms and climate change, perhaps.

 In Germany there is a growing trend to be buried in a “Ruheforst”, (resting or still forest) instead of a usual graveyard. There your cremated remains get buried in a bio-degradable urn next to a tree of your choosing. There are no graves, no large markerstones, just an open, tended-to forest with many small paths and plaques on some trees. Some persons I know rest in such a place in the palatinate forest near the town Bad Dürkheim, so our family visits them every so often. Now to the bit macabre bit: It’s also a prime mushroom hunting place with usually plenty of different bolete species and other edibles. One of my grandmothers is sure, the ‘shrooms are nourished by the dead and refuses to eat any. I think they are so plentiful because by opening the forest, the trees left standing are getting more light and nutrients and so can give more of these nutrients to their mushroom-symbionts.

This year however, there were hardly any mushrooms of any kind there. The ground was very dry and most of the threes had small leaves. Instead, signs warning of forest fires were a common sight.

I did not pick up any of the edible ‘shrooms I found, but only took photos.

I have no idea, but I admired its roundness. ©Avalus, all rights reserved

[Read more…]

Some Really Fun Guys from Austria

As promised, I brought back some photos of Austrian mushrooms. These guys really know how to have fun. But first, a small scene setter (okay, two, because I couldn’t choose):

Couldn’t see much of the valley through the trees along the trail, and the sun was rather faint.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

And then there were the open spaces.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

Click through to the fun guys themselves:

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Some Really Fun Guys

Last weekend (or was it two weekends ago already?) the family and I had the opportunity to catch one of the last shining golden days of autumn, and we went out to the local nature reserve / park / artificial lake / walking trail. Thingy. It was well worth the effort, and along the way, I saw many fun guys having a great time in the damp moss beneath the pines. First, let me set the mood:

Gold everywhere.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

And then the party started…

This fun guy was having fuzzy feelings all over.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

This fun guy was just trying to blend in.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

This fun guy was lolling about in the needles.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

This fun guy was taking a break.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

This fun guy was moving up the social ladder.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

This fun guy was kind of alien, and I’m pretty sure – no fun guy at all!
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

And a final lot of fun guys:

Jack’s Walk

©voyager, all rights reserved

Well, the sun did try to shine earlier this morning, but by the time Jack and I got ourselves outdoors it had clouded over. We went to the woods anyway and had a pleasant autumn walk in the autumn air. It wasn’t the bright colours that caught my eye today, though. It was a bit of fluffy white fungus that looked just like wet teddy bear fur. Hmmm…maybe it was wet teddy bear fur. Maybe today was the day the teddy bears had their picnic.

Jack’s Walk

More fun than fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Jack and I haven’t really wandered too far from home this week because fibromyalgia and damp weather don’t get along, but that just gives us a chance to check out the changes in our own neighbourhood.  These mushrooms for example weren’t here earlier this week. Must be all the rain we’ve had. I’m not familiar with this variety of fungus, but they look to me like more fun than fungus.

Jack’s Walk

It’s damp and drizzly again and while I might not like the weather there are certainly things that thrive when it’s moist outside. Fungus for example. Jack and I haven’t been to the forest in a few days and I was surprised to see this big bright piece of flaming fungus grown so large in 3 days. I swear it wasn’t there on Friday. It fits right in with the October colours all around it, but I didn’t expect to see fungus in a frilly orange party dress.

Flaming Fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Pretty orange frills, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Jack’s Walk

©voyager, all rights reserved

The weather has cooled down and it has Jack feeling frisky. He’s been boing-boinging around the house like a puppy and he’s full of mischief and energy. Well, as full of energy as a lazy 10 year old dog can be.  A good walk was definitely called for so we took ourselves to Terracotta Park for a frolic in the woods. A good time was had by all and now Jack is peacefully asleep.

Jack’s Walk

Turkey Tail fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved

©voyager, all rights reserved

Jack and I found this beautiful turkey tail fungus today. We often find this at home in Trillium Woods, but I seldom see it here in Pointe Claire. I love the way the fungus looks like the wood shavings left behind after sharpening a pencil. This specimen also collectively looks like a head of curly hair. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way I think it’s lovely, even though it did leave me feeling a bit homesick.